Waiting
by CaseyCuervo
Summary: While doing chores, Heero comes across a box that Duo seems to be hiding. Just a bunch of sap.


Disclaimer: I own nothing of Gundam Wing, and that includes their characters.

Heero was slightly bored. He was folding and putting away his, and his boyfriends laundry. Duo and he had moved in together three months ago, after dating for a year. Things went smoothly. They had theirs ups and downs like normal couples. But for the past four months everything seemed to be going unbelievably well.

As Heero placed Duo's bundled socks in his top drawer, he spotted one of the other bundled up socks with a definable bulge in it. Grabbing the socks, he unbundled them, and in the inner sock was a velvet box.

/Oh, hear God, please don't let this be what I think it is./ Heero thought as he opened the box. Inside was a gold ring. He pulled it out and inspected it. There was no inscription inside it, but still he knew what it was. A wedding ring.

/This idiot is insane! We just moved in together! He can't seriously be thinking about this!/ Heero's thoughts ran amuck. He put the ring back in the box, closed it, and bundled it back in the socks.

/Bastards fucking nuts if he's thinking of doing this already!/

But he didn't say anything to Duo that night when he got home. He didn't say anything in the days following as his anticipation took hold of him whenever it seemed Duo might "pop the question".

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Ten months later, while Duo wasn't home, Heero checked the sock drawer, and sure enough the box and ring were still there. /Maybe it's a keepsake from a part of his past?/ His mind supplied that answer since the question never came.

A year and a half later, Heero was beginning to feel disappointed that the ring wasn't for him. He never asked Duo about it. /If he wants to tell me, he'll tell me./ But the mystery of the ring always held steadfast in the back of his mind.

It was two years after the discovery of the ring now, and still no answer had been volunteered to him, and he still hadn't asked about it.

He and Duo were visiting Quatre and Trowa on L4, Wufei and Sally were also present at the small get together dinner they were enjoying.

At this moment, the ring and its significance was far from Heero's mind. He was enjoying beginning together with his closest friends and lover. Suddenly, Duo stood up and asked for everyone's attention because he had a request to make. Everyone stared and waited.

Duo dropped to one knee, looking up at his long time boyfriend and lover. Heero felt shock and excitement consume him. /It's coming, it's finally coming!/ Heero rubbed his hands together in his lap as he stared into the nervous eyes of his lover.

"Heero, will you please do me the honor of being my husband?" Duo asked, halfway though his question he pulled the velvet box from his inner coat pocket. /The same box!/ Heero's mind raced. Duo opened it and present the ring within.

Heero sat frozen for a good 15 seconds. His lovers eyes got more unsure with each passing moment.

"YES!" He exclaimed. "YES! YES! YES! A MILLION TIMES, YES!" He hadn't expected that outburst to be his answer, and he realized then that he had been waiting ever since he found that ring.

Duo smiled and pulled the ring from the box and placed it on Heero ring finger. The kissed as their company applauded, silently cried, and whispered, "It's about time!"

The kissing couple pulled away from each other and smiled. Duo took his seat back in his chair still clutching his lovers hands. Heero pulls his hands away and started fanning his face in attempt to keep the tears back that were already falling.

"I've been waiting for this for SO long!" Heero sobbed. "I found this ring in you dresser THREE MONTHS after we moved in together!"

Duo's eyes widened for a brief second before they relaxed and he chuckled, "I've had that ring a lot longer than that," he admitted.

"How long?" Heero asked.

"I bought it after our first date," Duo answered.

Memories of his and Dou's first date flooded his mind. It was not a good date. Heero had been very reserved, unsure of taking that first step with Duo. The date had been awkward and weird, at best. At the end, Duo hd walked him to his apartment door and kissed his goodnight. The kiss had been tentative and strange. Heero went into his apartment unsure if he should considered a second date with Duo.

As if reading his mind, Duo confessed, "I know our first date wasn't great. And I know our first kiss was very...awkward. But I knew," Duo smiled at the disbelieving look on Heero's face, "I knew at that moment that this was going to be good, a forever kind of relationship." Duo's eyes were glowing and his face soft with understanding at the look of Heero's expression.

"I doubted us," Heero began, feeling guilty. "I doubted if I would be able to give you everything you could give to me," He replied softly.

Duo grasped both of Heero's hands in his, "I know, that's why I waited. I never doubted you would come to feel the same for me, but I knew I hd to give you time to get there."

Heero's eyes began to water again, as he realized just how lucky he was to have someone who knew him through and through. He knew he was a hard person to read and understand. Even when it came to the others. But Duo knew. Duo knew him better than he knew himself.

"Thank you," Heero whispered.

"For what?" Duo asked.

"For knowing what I really wanted before I did," he answered.

The kissed again, as their friends, witnessing the conversation that just took place, congratulate them, and hugged them, and wished them a happy future.


End file.
